Songbirds & Sirens

6

The crystals on the walls began to glow as if lit from within, the shadows being chased away by the illuminated, glittering gems that decorated the steel hued stone.

The steady lull of the carriage brought about questions that I desperately needed answers to. Answers that I wanted from Oren, despite Inala being seated directly beside me.

Something told me not to bother with her while she was napping.

"Oren, stop the carriage."

The man in question pulled on the reins and did as I bade, the horse slowing while Inala barely stirred at the sudden stop, eyes still closed and face the most peaceful I'd seen it since encountering her.

Testing my weight on my injured thigh that Inala had only shrugged her shoulders at in what I assumed was her idea of an apology, I slipped down the lone stair of the carriage and into a hidden alcove where I emptied my bladder and hid for a moment to gather my bearings.

What was I doing?

I should have been halfway to the Carti River at this point, but there was something about the masked pain that Inala wore plainly on her face, something so miniscule that only someone who'd suffered similarly would understand it, would be able to recognize it for what it truly was.

There was a flicker in her eyes as she'd spoken about masters and owners, as she'd joked about it as if it were nothing, but it wasn't nothing.

I'd freed her from the cave, but it was my duty to see that she was returned back safely to her people.

Although...she didn't necessarily need my help, not with her ear piercing song and teeth sharp as daggers.

No, the Siren didn't need anyone's protection.

So why was I still there and not escaping like I so desperately wanted?

Was it because the idea of meeting others who might share something similar with me, others who could relate to what I'd gone through, was too strong an ideal to pass up?

Was it worth risking traveling with Oren, traveling with someone who'd kidnapped me, in order to find somewhere I might belong?

Somewhere that meant as much to me as my short time in Port City had?

Somewhere that resembled an actual home with a real family?

It was worth it to at least try, and if things took a turn for the worse, then I'd have my dagger—and hopefully Inala—to rip out Oren's throat like she'd offered.

It was a bit more gruesome than I might've wanted, but at least it was something.

I would travel with him to the Temples of the Gods to meet the Siren community, but one wrong move and Oren would face my wrath.

I had made the decision to ride horseback with Oren and pluck as many details as I could out about him and his motives before I reached the horse drawn carriage, but movement along the glowing crystal wall to my left startled me, and I threw my arms up defensively as a figure approached me, moving quickly.

"Yuni! You're going to make the poor girl piss herself, if she hasn't already!"

Oren's voice rang out through the stale cave air as another figure came into sight.

"Who the Everworld are you?"

I cursed my mouth for being slower than my brain, but hopefully the two new strangers didn't take offense to my blunt question.

"I'm hurt that you don't already know, doesn't the beast ever speak of us?"

The disembodied voice spoke just a few feet away.